Building block



Get 2 19340 J, w. LOWELL, 1,975,235

BUILDING BLOCK Filed June 22, 1932 Patented Oct. 2, 1934 PATENT OFFICE1,975,235 BUILDING BLOCK John W. Lowell, Chicago, Ill., assignor toBenedict Stone Products Company, Chicago, Ill.,

a corporation of Illinois Application June 22, 1932, Serial No. 618,589

4 Claims.

' is. .to be lifted, but the lifting devices of the prior art have beenunsatisfactory on account of their crude and unworkmanlike appearanceand on account of the unreliability of the devices of the prior art.-, I

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of animproved building block having a lifting ring which is adapted to beutilized for transporting the block from place to place and for placingthe block in its proper positionin I a building structure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved buildingblock form adapted to be used for installing a lifting ring of theclass'described in building blocks.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved mode ofanchoring building blocks in place in building structures and theprovision of an improved building block having improved characteristicsparticularly'adapting the block'for 1.30 the improved anchoring devices.

Anchoring devices have been utilized with the building blocks of theprior art, but it has been customary to use the lifting ring as a meansfor engaging with the anchoring devices of the prior art. When liftingrings are so employed andthe block is not provided with particularformations fo-rthe anchoring devices, there is a tendency on the part ofthe workman to omit anchoring devices that should be used. The liftingring having another function, its presence on the block does notnecessarily indicate the necessity for an anchoring device. One of theobjects of the invention is the provision of an improved building blockhaving formations peculiarly adapted to be used with anchoring devicessothat the block may be provided with the proper number of formations,and thenumber' of formations thereon will indicate the necessity for apredetermined number of 59 building block anchors;

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improvedbuildingblock having anchoring formations thereongby means of which theanchoring devices are brought into engagement with 5 the body or thebuilding block rather than with a filling of mortar such as would be thecase where the anchoring device is embedded in the mortar, the mortarengaging the block.

The material of which modern building block is made is capable ofwithstanding the pressure Q9:- of many thousands of pounds per squareinch, whereas the mortar itself may be of inferior quality, and isgenerally not of as good quality as the block. The direct engagementbetween the anchoring device and the parts of the block as sures astronger mode of anchoring than may be accomplished with any of thedevices of the prior art. Another object of the invention is theprovision of an improved anchoring arrangement by means of which theanchors may be so disposed that the presence of anchors places nolimitation upon the arrangement of the blocks, so that the blocks neednot be spaced wide enough to receive the thickness of the anchor.

In the devices of the prior art, anchors had to be disposed in thejoints between the blocks, and therefore the blocks often had to beplaced farther apart than would be otherwise necessary or desirable.According to the present invention, the anchors are located inpredetermined recesses extending backward from the blocks so that theblocks may lie directly upon each other and a minimum amount of mortarmay be applied.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved form forconstructing building blocks of the class described. having anchoringrecesses complementary in shape to the improved anchors, whereby theanchors may be placed'in direct engagement with the block in thebuilding structure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and from the accompanying drawing, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate similar partsthroughout theseveral views.

Referring to the single sheet of drawing ace companying thisdescription,

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a building block constructedaccording to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken-through a brick wall facedwith a building block and anchored according to the present invention}.I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of one end of a form,'showing thestructure of the form'for providing the anchoring recesses in a block ofthe class described;-

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the metal molding member which isattached to the form of Fig. 3 for forming the recesses in the block;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line5-5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, showing thestructure of the anchoring ring in the block;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken through the axis of theanchoring ring of Fig. 5 as it is disposed in the form prior to thepouring; of the cementitious material in the form; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the plane of the line 7-7 of Fig. 6, showing the anchoring ring strip in elevation from the leftend of Fig. 6 and also showing the shape of the ball which forms asocket about the anchoring ring.

Referring to Big. 1, the building block, which is indicated in itsentirety by the numeral 10, may be constructed of any type of buildingmaterial. It is preferably constructed of cementitious material,comprising Portland cement, and fine and coarse aggregate ofpredetermined size, mixed with aminilnum amount of water. The block issubjected to high frequency vibration n order to improve thecharacteristics of the product, crease its strength and density, filltheform more completely, and to provide a better finish. The

invention is of particular importance in connection with building blockswhich simulate natural rock,,by virtue of the use of a large amount ofaggregate of the particular rock in question, and the present blocks maybe employed as facing blocks and subjected to any desired type offinish, just like; the natural rock. For instance, blocks to simulategranite or marble, may be provided with a polish like the natural rock.

The present building blocks can, of course, be

molded in any suitable form, and they may be made of any shape. All ofthe standard structural building shapes may be made, and the simplerectangular shape of block shown in Fig. 1 is merely selected as asuitable example.

. The blocks are preferably provided with one or more lifting rings 11,and a lifting ring is preferably suitably located with respect to thecenter of gravity so thatwhen a lifting device is applied to the liftingring 11 the block will not tilt, but will be held in the proper positionfor a placement of the block. Thus the lifting device 11 is preferablylocated, in that surface of the block which is intended to be on topwhen the block is put in place.

The lifting device is also preferably located in one of, the edges ofthe surfaces which are to be covered .by other parts of the buildingstructure when the block is in place, but in the case of capstones,lifting devices may be located on the top and facing side, and filledwith mortar, if desired. The building block 10 is provided with a face12, which may be polished, if desired, and with the rectangular sides oredges 13-46. Midway between the ends of the upper edge 13 there islocated a socket 17 of predetermined shape surrounding the lifting ring11 and permitting access to the lifting ring. a

'- The socket 17 preferably tapers in width from the edge 13 inwardtoward the base of the socket in order to permit the convenient removalof the form from the finished block, and I prefer to use a substantiallyhemispherical socket 17, as this shape of socket provides convenientaccess to the lifting ring, gives the block a convenient and laterallyturned end 20 which serves as an anchoring formation for the strip 18 inthe building block 11). At its outer end the strip 18 is provided with atransverse circular bore 21, which serves to receive lifting devices,such as hooks or the like, in the lifting or placing of the buildingblock 10.

Referring to Figs. 5, 6 and 7, these are fragmentary views showing thestructure of the lifting ring andthe form utilized to install such alifting ring. The form 22 in Figs. 6 and 7 may comprise any shape orform, but since the block which is located for an example is of thesimple rectangular shape, the form 22 has a flat bottom 23 and flatsides 24, 25. The side 25 is that which forms the edge 13, and it ispreferablyv provided a with a bore 26 adapted to register with thelocation of the anchoring ring 11.

A ball shaped formation 27, preferably constructed of cast metal, suchas cast iron, is utilized for forming the socket 17. The member 27 ishemispherical, being provided with a flat side 28 V adapted to engagethe side 25 of the form 22,.and the ball is provided with one or moretransverse apertures 29 for receiving wood screws 30 which secure theball to the wooden form. Two wood screws 36 are preferably employed sothat the ball shaped formation is suitably secured against rotation, andthe ball is provided with a rectangular aperture 31 located on thatdiameter which is at right an les to the flat rear side 28 of the ball.The rectangular aperture 31 is of suificient size to slidably receivethat end of the anchor ring strip 11. which is to be located in thesocket l7. Actually the aperture 31 is preferably a little larger so asto provide space for a tie wire 32.

The ball 27 is secured permanently to the side of the form 25 andremoved with the form from the block 10, but thelifting ring 11 isintended to remain in the block, and therefore it is preferablydetachably secured to the form.

One mode of securing the lifting ring to'the form is to run a tie wire32 through the aperture 21 of the lifting ring, the ends of the tie wireextending outward through the rectangular aperture 31 and through thebore 26 in the side 25 of the form. The tie wire may be twisted togetherin the aperture 26 and looped about a pin 33, the ends 34 being againtwisted together. By turning the pin 33 the lifting ring strip 18 may bedrawn tightly into its socket 31 and suitably. secured in the form.After the block has been cast and hardened suihciently so that the formcan be removed, the tie wire 32 is cut or untwisted, the pin 33 isremoved, and then the side 25 of the form may be removed with the ball27. The lifting ring 11 will slide out of the ball 27, leaving thelifting ring strip 18 suitably anchored in the block 149 with its endlocated in the socket 17. V L e The present lifting rings may also beutilized as anchoring devices, if desired, and they will provide abetter anchoring device than the de-' vices of the prior art, on accountof the regular formation of the lifting ring 11. I prefer, however, toutilize the lifting ring only for lifting and placing blocks and toprovide the blocks with a predetermined number of formations, obviously1'50 indicating to the workmen where and how. many of the anchoringdevices are to be used.

'The preferred formof anchoringdevice is indicated in its entirety bythe number .35, and it comprises astrip of sheet metal of predeterminedthickness and width so that the strip is preferably rectangular insection. The strip is also of predee termined length and it providedwith laterally turned formations 36, 37 at each end, the ends beingdirected at right angles to the body 38 so that the ends are adapted todirectly engage the brick or other structural elements of the wall aswell as the material of the building block.

Referring to"Fig. -2, it will be noted that the anchoring strip islocated between successive sources of the brick wall below the brick 39and above the brick'40. Its downwardly turned end 37 is located'behindthe brick 40 and in front of the brick 41, the. other space between thebricks being filled with mortar; The other end 36 of the anchoring strip35 extends forward in a groove or recess 42 suitably formed in thebuilding block 10 to receive the strip 35. The downwardly turned end'36is'located in a deeper complemen tary recess 43, which is provided inthe building block 10 at the end of the groove 42. The shape of thegroove 42 and socket 43 is preferably substantially' complementary tothe shape of the anchor strip 35, and therefore the anchor strip may bemade of such thickness that the building blocks are very firmlyanchored, and it is not necessary to make the anchoring strip thin so asto provide a thin joint between the facing blocks, nor is it necessaryto space the facing blocks far j enough to receive the strip. Thepresent structure places no limitations upon the size of the anchoringdevice nor upon the amount of mortar which must be used between thefacing blocks, as the building blocks are already molded to receive theanchoring strips.

It will thus be observed that the anchoring strip directly engages thebricks and the anchoring strip also directly engages the walls of thegroove and socket provided for it in the building block, and a muchstronger form of connection is thus provided than could be providedwhere it is necessary to fill in the space between the anchoring stripand the building block with mortar.

The anchor strip. is also thus adapted to accomplish its anchoringfunction immediately on the placing of the bricks and blocks, while themortar is soft. It will be evident that the devices of the prior artembedded in mortar, could not hold while the mortar is soft.

The building block is anchored against forward movement or backwardmovement, upward movement or downward movement, if desired, and alsoanchored against lateral movement by the engagement of the walls of thegroove 42 with the sides of the strip 35.

Where the building blocks are of relatively small size, I prefer to useonly one anchor strap 35, preferably located midway between the ends ofthe block on one of its edges, and I prefer to select the top edge ofthe block for receiving the anchor strap.

The lower edge and side edges of the block are thus not anchored, butthey are suitably secured in place by their engagement with the adjacentblocks and by mortar, and it is sufficient to provide an anchor strap atthe top of each block where the blocks are relatively small. Anchorstraps can also be placed more easily at the top of the block than atthe bottom, and they are so located as to prevent tilting outward of thetop of the block, which is to be expected more than any movement of thebottom of the block.

In appropriate cases, however, the anchoring strips may be located atthe ends of the block or at the bottom, at the top and bottom, at bothends, excluding the top and bottom, or a: greater number of anchorstrips may be used. I 1

Where a block is very long in a horizontal direction, it will beprovided with a number of sockets symmetrically located on both sides ofthe lifting ring 11, as shown at the top of Fig. 1.

Anchor strips need only be provided inthe ver-- tical edges of the blockwhere the block is quite wide in a vertical direction, and it should beunderstood that the block illustrated in Fig. 1 is merely to show all ofthe various locations for anchor strips which it may ever bedesirable toemploy. It would be a very large block indeed which would require all ofthe anchor straps shown in Fig. 1, but the structure shown in Fig. 1 isadapted to take care of all contingencies.

Referring to Fig. 4, this is a cast metal member 44, preferably made ofcast iron, which may be utilized for molding the grooves and recesses42, 43 in the block. The molding members 44 preferably have flat rearsides 45 for engaging the form. They are preferably provided with a flatstrap-like body 46 having a counter-sunk.'aperture 4'7 for receiving thewood screw 48 which secures the molding member to the wall 49 of theform. At the lower end the molding member 44 is provided with alaterally projecting body 50, substantially complementary in shape tothe end 36 of an anchoring strap 35.

The lug 50 on the molding member 44 preferably tapers in width from theouter end 51 to its base 52 and has all of its surfaces suitably curved.Thus the end 53 is substantially semi-cylindrical, and a partiallycylindrical portion 54 is formed between the lug 50 and body 46.

The corners 55 of the body 46 are also rounded off so as to provide afinished groove 42 and recess 43, which has no sharp corners, but whichis substantially complementary to the shape of the anchor strap 35.

The lug 50 is tapered so as to permit convenient removal of the moldingmember 44 with the wall 49 of the form after the block has been cast.The molds are provided with a suitable number of devices for supportingthe lifting rings from the mold and for supporting the molding members44 so as to provide the block with both the lifting rings and theanchoring recesses.

Since the block has an anchoring recess at every point where an anchorstrap is to be placed. it is easy to see the omission of an anchorstrap, and the workmen will naturally anchor the blocks as they wereintended to be anchored by the manufacturer.

The blocks will be installed more securely and the work wfll beaccomplished with greater certainty than in the devices of the prior artwhere the lifting ring was used to engage an anchoring device. Theworkmanlike appearance of the block is a source of satisfaction to theworkmen and an incentive to a better grade of work in the installationof the facing blocks. The use of the blocks are regarded as an importantadvance in I56 the art over the devices of the prior art and have metwith popular acceptance by the trade. The blocks may be transported andhandled more effectively and safely, thereby reducing the possibility ofaccident, and tending to reduce the insurance rates involved, and theblocks may be anchored more securely and certainly than they could beanchored with the devices of the prior art.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, manymodifications may bemade-without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and I do not Wish to be limited to the precise details ofconstruction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes withinthe scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. A building block comprising a molded cementitious member having atapered socket located in one of its sides and a lifting member havingan anchoring formation embedded in said block and having its end locatedin said socket, said lifting member being located wholly within theouter surface of the block, but exposed for access in said socket.

2. A building block comprising a molded cementitious member having atapered socket. located in one of its sides and a lifting ring having ananchoring formation embedded in said block and having its end located insaid socket,

said lifting ring comprising a metal strap having a bore extendingthrough said strap and located in said socket.

3. A building block comprising a molded cementitious member having atapered socket located in one of its sides and a lifting ring having ananchoring formation embedded in said block and having its end located insaid socket, said lifting ring comprising a metal strap having a boreextending through said strap and located in said socket, and said straphaving a laterally turned end anchored in said block.

4. A building block comprising a molded cementitious member ofpredetermined shape, said block having a socket of predetermined shapelocated in one of its sides and a lifting ring comprising a metal memberhaving an anchoring formation embedded in said block, said metal memberhaving an aperture for receiving a lifting member and said metal memberhaving its exposed portion located in said tapered socket below themajor portion of the surface of the side of said block.

JOHN W. LOWELL.

